I'll Find You
by fireheartgalaxy
Summary: They say soulmates always find each other. Whether it be this life or that life, this universe or that one, they always find each other, no matter what. This is a collection of AU one-shots, all in different universes, where Marinette and Adrien find each other, over and over again in many different worlds. After all, they are meant for each other, in this world and the next.
1. Prologue- I'll find you

**AN at the end! Please read:)**

Paris' night was quiet.

The Eiffel Tower loomed over the city. The city was dark, with only the occasional gentle flash of light on the streets. It was the dead of the night, and Paris was asleep, with no one to notice the two dark figures leaping gracefully from rooftop to rooftop.

Ladybug let out a soft laugh as she hurled her yoyo once again, latching onto the top of the next building and allowing herself to swing from her perch. Landing easily on the building, she turned back with a smile, blue eyes scanning the streets for her partner.

"Looking for someone, my lady?" the familiar voice of her partner resonated in her ear, and she spun around, meeting the feline eyes of Chat Noir.

"Why, yes," she said with a laugh, "I'm looking for my partner. He runs around Paris in a black leather suit on a regular basis. Have you seen him, by any chance?"

"Hmm," Chat Noir faked a thoughtful look and tapped his chin with his finger, "I might have, but you know what?" he leaned in close. "I heard that he likes being with his lady."

"Really, now?" she asked, smirking at him, taking a step closer.

Chat took a step forward as well, bringing their bodies so close that Ladybug could feel his breath ghosting over her face. "Yes, really," he murmured, his emerald gaze roaming her face. "I also heard that he would really like a kiss from a certain princess."

"And a kiss he shall have," she breathed, voice barely more than a whisper. She was barely able to finish her sentence when she felt a pair of lips softly ghosting over hers, chapped from the wind, and a pair of strong arms wrapping around her waist. Ladybug allowed herself to melt into the kiss of the kindest and gentlest person she had ever known, before she suddenly pushed forward, wrapping her arms around his neck, pouring her love for him into the now passionate kiss.

The response was immediate. His lips moved gently against hers, and he reached a clawed hand up to cup her face tenderly. She could feel him holding back, afraid of pushing past her boundaries, and _god_ , he was so considerate and kind and _good_ and she loved him so much it _hurt_.

Not long after, she pulled back reluctantly to catch her breath, taking in the disheveled appearance of her partner, and knowing that she probably looked the same.

She moved to the edge of the building there were currently on and sat down, dangling her feet over the edge fearlessly. A moment later, Chat joined her, and for several minutes they sat in comfortable silence, taking in the breathtaking sight of the city they fought so hard to protect.

After a few minutes of silence, Chat spoke up, his voice seemingly very loud in the silence of the night. "Princess… Do you… do you ever wonder happens… after this is all over?"

She met his eyes, angling her head curiously. "What do you mean, Chat?"

He cleared his throat. "I mean… after this Hawkmoth business is over. Do we still continue with this life? What if…" Chat Noir's eyes flickered slightly with emotion, before he broke their gazes, looking away. "It's… it's nothing. I'm being stupid."

"Hey." She said softly, grabbing his face and looking straight at him. "Tell me what's wrong, kitty."

He swallowed visibly. "I… well… you know how Hawkmoth's akumas have been getting stronger lately? You know how we get injured more and more easily, and how our injuries get worse each time? Hawkmoth is getting stronger, his akumas are getting stronger, and I'm afraid…" he swallowed again and looked out at the city, "I'm afraid that one day… we'll get overwhelmed. He's managed to create two akumas at the same time so far. _Two_ , Ladybug. What if…" his voice broke, and he trailed off.

Ladybug was silent for a moment, before she grabbed his hand with both of hers. "Hey. It'll be fine. We're Ladybug and Chat Noir, remember? We're invincible. Fearless. Unstoppable. We can take _everything_ that Hawkmoth throws at us. We'll be fine, kitty. Besides," she tried for a smile, gazing up into those emerald pools she could oh-so-easily get lost in, "even if we do… die… we'll find each other once again, one way or another. Don't you believe in fate? Destiny?" she leaned in close, brushing her nose against his, "Remember how you told me once that we're fated for one another, Adrien? Remember when you said that we're soulmates, destined to be together no matter what? Like you said, we're bound together, and I can't leave you even if I wanted to," she joked, seeing some of the familiar light go back into Chat's eyes, "We'll be fine."

Chat leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers, briefly, softly, and drew back, "Yeah," he drew in a shuddering breath, "We'll be fine." He repeated, "We'll be fine. No matter what," his hand ghosted over her cheek and brushed back a strand of loose hair, "we'll be together. I'll find you, no matter what happens."

She smiled. "See? There's nothing to be afraid of, c _haton_. I told you so."

He stood up and pulled her to her feet, and they stood, bodies pressed against one another, foreheads touching, hands twined together.

"We'll be fine," Chat's whisper seemed to echo over and over again in her heart, "Everything will be fine." He leaned in for another kiss, and she felt his need to be with her, all of her. Pink and green light flashed the moment their lips connected, and she managed to catch the faint murmur passing his lips.

"In this life, or the next, or the one after, no matter what… _**I'll find you.**_ "

* * *

 **I finally worked up the courage to write my first story, and to my delight, this first fic belongs to the Miraculous Ladybug fandom! I do hope you liked the prologue! Anyways, as you can see from the summary, this will be a collection of one-shots taking place in other universes. The possibilities are endless! Anyways, I'd like to ask you readers to send in prompts for me to write. It can be anything from the cliché normal high school AU to an animal AU to an AU from another TV show/book. I'll gladly take your suggestions into consideration and I promise to try and write all of them!**

 **~stephanie**


	2. Coffee Shop AU

**Hello readers! This is the first official chapter of I'll Find You. This is a Coffee Shop AU. The pairing is Adrienette. Yes, cliché AU. I know. I have many ideas, but I'll save those for later. Just thought I'd start with something more commonly seen. By the way, the POVs will alternate between the 2 of them in different chapters. Just thought I'd mention that. Anyways, here is the chapter! Enjoy, my lovely readers!**

 **AU: Coffee Shop**

 **Pairing: Adrienette**

 **Summary: Marinette and Alya meet up at the newest coffee shop for a study session... oh my gosh, that barista is _hot._**

* * *

 _Crap, crap, crap, crap, CRAP._ Marinette rushed around her room, grabbing books and notes and stationary, before darting back to her backpack and stuffing everything into it. With a hasty check of her appearance in the mirror, she dashed out of her room and darted down the stairs.

"In a hurry, sweetie?" asked her mother, Sabine, a kind smile on her face. Marinette nodded hurriedly, pausing to give her mother a brief kiss on the cheek, "YesI'mlateIpromisedAlyathatIwouldstudywithherinthatcoffeeshopnearbyIgottagobyemama." She rushed out of the house, jogging down the street and turning several corners, before she spotted the coffee shop that she and Alya had decided to meet up and study. It was rather new and apparently, Alya had made a new friend among the workers. What was his name again? Nuno? Nino? Yeah, Nino. She hid a smile as she recalled the way Alya had looked when talking about him. It was the same look she got when she talked about her blog - she got that look when she was talking about what she was interested in.

She glanced at her watch. _5 minutes late_. She entered the coffee shop, scanning the area for her red-headed best friend. Eyes landing on the familiar figure of her friend in one of the tables at the back, she headed over, careful not to bump into any of the other tables.

She plopped down into the seat opposite of Alya. "Late again, are we?" her best friend teased. Marinette groaned, "I'm sorry Alya. I woke up late."

"Again?" Alya asked, raising an eyebrow, "Working on your designs again? Seriously, Marinette. I know that fashion is practically your life, but it really won't be much of a life if you sleep at like 3am every day."

"What do you mean, not much of a life?" Marinette protested, "I'm not a zombie during the day, for your information. I mostly feel perfectly fine." As if on cue, a yawn was forced out of her lips.

"Sure, Mari, sure." Alya snorted, rolling her eyes, before gently pushing her friend in the direction of the counter. "Go and get a coffee. You'll need the energy to get through this study session. Can't have you falling asleep in the middle of this, can we?"

Marinette sighed and stood up, heading to the counter. She gave the menu a quick once-over, before deciding that coffee was what she wanted.

"How may I help you?" a deep voice asked her. Marinette jumped slightly, not expecting someone to address her. (Of course, that wasn't the only reason she jumped. And of course, she definitely didn't jump because that voice was swoon-worthy. And she most definitely did _not_ think that the voice was extremely attractive. Nope. Not even a little. Not at all.)

(… Okay. Maybe a bit. Maybe that voice _was_ a bit attractive. Just a _bit_ , mind you!)

She looked up and was met with the most perfect face she had ever seen.

No, she was not exaggerating. She was quite into fashion, and had spent countless hours flipping through fashion magazines. She had seen many attractive faces of male models, but in her opinion, none of their faces really came close to this one.

The person in front of her had perfectly groomed golden hair that shone in the sunlight filtering through the windows. His eyes were the most dazzling shade of emerald green, shimmering with softness and kindness. He had flawless fair skin, and lips that looked far too delicious to be illegal. Those lips…

… parted and that smooth, deep, _amazing_ voice filtered into Marinette's ears. "Hey… Hey. Are you alright, miss?"

It was only when the boy – _the barista-_ said that did she realize that she had been staring, _hard_ , and she flushed with embarrassment. The boy was looking at her with those emerald eyes ( _oh those eyes_ ) filled with such concern. For her. For _her._

 _Snap out of it, Marinette._

Managing to recollect herself _somewhat,_ ( _seriously, how did he look so damn perfect?_ ) she forced herself, "I-I'm fine. Sorry for that, I didn't sleep much last night… so I'm quite tired. I tend to space out when I'm tired." She let out a weak laugh. _Good, good. Smooth. Sorta._

The barista laughed, a rich, velvety sound that nearly had her swooning. "Busy person, I see. You'll be having coffee then, I presume?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Alright! That'll be two Euros please **(look, I don't know much about Parisian currency so just roll with it haha)**."

Marinette fumbled with her wallet, finally counting out the right amount and handed it to the very handsome barista. He counted the money before flashing her a blinding smile. "May I get your name, please?"

Marinette would be excited about him asking for her name, if not for the fact that he only needed it to call out her name when her coffee was ready, not because he had some interest in her. "It's Marinette. My name's Marinette." He nodded, still smiling, and scribbled it on the cup. Speaking of names…

Marinette stole a glance at the barista's nametag. _Adrien_ , it read.

 _Adrien. That's a pretty name._

"You have a pretty name," the barista - no, _Adrien's_ voice jolted her out of her thoughts. Marinette realized that he was smiling at her, and _he had just said that her name was pretty. Holy. Fucking. Shit._ "Princess," he added, seemingly as an afterthought, and _winked_ at her.

Marinette's cheeks burned, but she managed to force out a reply without stuttering. "Why, thanks. Yours isn't too bad, _Adrien_." Gathering all her courage, she returned his wink and smile before turning (her cheeks still bright red and her face hot) and walking back to her table.

"Girl, what was that?" Alya hissed, leaning forward over the table. "You were _totally_ _and utterly in love_. I could see that as clear as day. And did you just _wink_ at him?"

Marinette blushed harder, dropping her gaze to her lap. "He's… cute, I guess." She mumbled.

A broad grin stretched across Alya's face as she leaned forward (so forward that their table threatened to topple over) and fixated Marinette with a knowing gaze. "Don't you mean, he's perfect and handsome?" she teased.

Marinette groaned, "Sh-shut _up_ , Alya!" she buried her face in her hands, hoping to whatever deity up in the sky that her cheeks would stop flaming.

"Marinette." The beautiful voice she had come to associate with Adrien reached her ears and she bolted up, looking to the direction of the voice where Adrien had set her cup down on the counter. Upon seeing that her gaze had landed on him, Adrien sent a smirk and a wink in her direction, before turning to the next customer.

For the umpteenth time that day, blood rushed to Marinette's cheeks, and she wondered whether her blushing would ever die down. She headed over to grab her coffee, before immediately walking back to her table, avoiding the temptation to look at Adrien just _one more time_.

"Hey, what's that?" before Marinette could protest, Alya snatched the cup out of her hands. "Ooh, it's a note!"

It was only then that Marinette realized that there was a piece of sticky note stuck on her cup. Alya was grinning at her mischievously.

"Must be from your boooooyfriend." She sang in a teasing tone. Marinette rolled her eyes, forcing down the blush that threatened to come, before grabbing the cup and turning it around so that she could read what was written on the note.

 _ **Purr-incess.**_

 _ **I've been feline purr-fect since I saw you.**_

 _ **Call me sometime?**_

Written underneath was a series of numbers… _Adrien's_ number. Oh god. He had asked her to call him. He had given her his number. She looked up, towards the counter, and caught Adrien looking at her. He sent her wide grin and gave her a 'Call me' gesture.

She smiled, her face red.

Oh yeah. She'd definitely call him.

* * *

 **There you have it, readers! The first AU, and a very cliché one at that haha. What are your thoughts on this chapter? I don't mind any constructive criticism. Also, what would you guys like to see next? Put your suggestions in a review!**

 **~stephanie**


	3. Divergent AU

**Hellooooo readers! Here's the second chapter of I'll Find You. Sorry for the late update – I'm not very satisfied with this chapter and even after a lot of editing, I'm still not happy with it, but I don't want to rewrite it. I'd also like to address one thing: my updates won't be very frequent. I'll try to update every 3 to 4 days, but I have a verrryyyy busy life. Also, these few weeks are compiled with tests and projects for me, so don't expect daily updates! So, here's the chapter! It's a Divergent AU (yes I'll be doing Aus from books, I love reading after all). If you haven't read or watched Divergent, basically people in the city are divided into 5 factions – Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the kind), Candor (the honest, and Erudite, (the intelligent). That's all you need to know, and enjoy the story!**

 **AU: Divergent**

 **Pairing: Adrienette**

 **Summary: Adrien is forced to choose between the life his father wants, and the life he wants. And he must have made the right choice in the end, because that girl with those blue eyes… He had never seen anything prettier in his life.**

* * *

"You're Divergent."

Adrien choked.

" _What?_!"

"You're Divergent," repeated his test-taker, a short man with graying hair and wise amber eyes, "It means that you are able to belong in more than one faction."

"I know what it means." Adrien's head was spinning uncontrollably. Were the lights supposed to be this bright, "How can I be… Divergent?"

The old man's gaze held sympathy. "Your test results are Erudite, Dauntless and Amity. A rather peculiar combination, but this is what I got from your results."

"I-I…" Adrien breathed out, "Please tell me that this is a mistake. A joke. Did Felix pay you to do this?"

The man sighed. "I'm afraid not. I'm sorry, young man." Amber eyes stared into his. "Now, I'd suggest not telling your results to your family… no one, especially since you belong to such high-class." He placed a gentle hand on Adrien's shoulder, "You are a good person. I trust that you will make the right choice. Fear not, son. Everything will work out in the end."

With a smile, the old man ushered Adrien from the room and closed the door behind him. Adrien leaned against the cold wall, closing his eyes, calming his breathing.

After several moments, he opened his eyes, summoning his calm façade as he walked back out. Perhaps he was Divergent. If anyone knew, he would be shunned and shamed.

But no one had to know.

* * *

Adrien was suffocating.

His father, his father's secretary and his brother were all staring at him, arms crossed and gazes expectant. It was the morning of his Choosing Day, and as expected, his father was giving him a serious talk.

"As you know, Adrien," his father started, his stance tall and imposing (as always), his piercing eyes boring right into Adrien's, "our family, _our business_ , is very important, whether it be in this faction or in this city. The Agreste name is extremely well known, and it would do well for it to be tarnished. To leave would mean to live in shame for the rest of your life. Not that you would ever leave, would you?"

Adrien swallowed, finding himself cowering from Gabriel Agreste's sharp gaze. "O-of course not, Father." He half-lied through his teeth, forcing his body into a compliant posture.

"Very well. Then I'll expect you to make the right choice," his father gave him a forced, tight-lipped smile before turning away. "Nathalie, come with me. We have business to attend to."

Nathalie nodded before following her employer out of the room, leaving Adrien alone with Felix. Felix studied Adrien for a moment before standing up and gripping Adrien's shoulder. "Don't make the wrong choice, Adrien." Adrien started slightly. He didn't expect Felix to address him with such a tone - it was clear that Felix's idea of the 'right choice' was different from Gabriel's. Adrien looked up and was surprised to see a slight flicker of emotion in the older boy's normally cold eyes.

"I will." Adrien promised, both to himself and Felix. Felix nodded, releasing Adrien's shoulder and walking out the door, closing it behind him.

Adrien stared at his door for several seconds before turning away, making his way to the window, and gazed out at the city.

"I'll make the right choice." He mumbled, trying to settle his conflicted mind.

Bu what was the right choice? Was it the _right_ right one, the one he would be expected to make, the one that would allow him to have the perfect (and predictable) future?

Or was it the one that he really wanted, the one that felt truly _right_ , the one that would likely hold a future where he could do what he wanted to do, be what he wanted to be?

He plopped down on his bed, his thoughts battling in his head. He wanted his father's approval – hell, he'd wanted his father's approval all his life. Choosing Erudite would surely make his father fully approve of him. But at the same time, he also wanted to follow his heart. He didn't know where his heart was going, where his heart would go, but it sure as hell wasn't Erudite, with everyone in blue formal attire and professional appearances and rigid stances.

Before Adrien could even make up his mind, Nathalie strode into the room, her heels clicking on the marble floor. "It's time to go," she said stiffly, "Come."

* * *

Adrien's mind was in turmoil, his thoughts incoherent. The rational part of his mind urged him to _choose Erudite,_ because it was the safest choice and he would get his father's approval and he would be safe and everything would be stable and certain and _sure_. But the other part of his mind, the part where he often had thoughts of rebellion against his father, urged him to choose what _he_ wanted, not what everyone else wanted and expected him to choose because how else was he going to have the freedom he had been longing for since birth and how else would he be able to enjoy himself?

After what seemed like an extremely long ride, the limo finally stopped and the Gorilla, his driver opened the door for him. He followed his father into the crowd, the sea of people parting to let the Agreste family through. Gabriel nodded at Adrien before Adrien was escorted into rows and rows of other blue clothed people his age… and unfortunately, next to his childhood 'friend', Chloe Bourgeois.

After what seemed like an eternity to Adrien, with Chloe chattering excitedly in his poor ears, the room finally settled and Andre Bourgeois stepped onto the podium in front of the 5 bowls. Much to Adrien's relief, Chloe immediately sat straighter at the sight of her father, her expression smug, and went silent. Andre started a long, drawn-out speech, but Adrien wasn't paying attention – _couldn't_ pay attention. His gaze wandered over the factions – the Abnegation, in gray with their heads bowed; Amity, in reds and yellows and smiles on their faces; the Candor, in white and black and their gazes curious; the Dauntless, in black and their bodies shifting restlessly; and of course, his own faction, the Erudite, in blue and sitting with rigid, straight postures.

He couldn't choose Abnegation. He wouldn't fit in, not even a bit. Adrien dared to admit that he could be selfless, but even so, he knew that a dull, serving life at Abnegation wasn't for him. He ruled out Candor as well – he disliked people who ran their mouths, and Adrien had been raised to speak only when he had everything thought through. Amity was an option – it was among his results, after all, but he couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life being way too positive and looking only at the bright side of things (Adrien was a rather pessimistic person half of the time). That left Dauntless, and honestly, he wasn't very much against the idea of joining that faction. Dauntless would provide him adventures, opportunities for him to be free and do all he wanted.

Which left him two choices – Erudite, the safe choice, and Dauntless.

"Chloe Bourgeois." Andre said (more like boomed loudly and proudly), a smug smile on his face. Chloe strode to the podium confidently, shoulders back and posture professional, before taking the knife from the father. Adrien saw her wrinkle her nose slightly in disgust before she sliced the knife across her palm and without hesitation, held her hand over the bowl of water, letting her blood drip into it, and his faction burst into applause. Chloe, still smiling smugly, walked back to the faction and gave Adrien a curt nod, seemingly sure that he would choose the same as she did. But would he? Would he be able to choose the stable option like everyone expected of him, or would he allow himself to follow his heart? Sometimes, Adrien wished that he had some of Chloe's confidence in herself and her choices. She was always so sure of herself and what she wanted, but Adrien couldn't even make up his mind on which faction he wanted.

"Adrien Agreste." Adrien swallowed. This was it. This was the moment he had been dreading for the past two days. Reeling back his nerves and arranging his features into an impassive expression, he walked (hopefully) confidently to the podium, channeling all of his Agreste poise, trying to conceal his inner turmoil.

He walked to the five bowls and took the knife from Andre. His heart was hammering so furiously against his chest that he left like it would burst. Hesistantly, slowly, he dragged the knife across his palm. There was a sting of pain, but Adrien ignored it, his vision tunneling to the two bowls in the centre – the Erudite and Dauntless bowls.

 _One choice can transform you._

He curled his hand into a fist A drop of blood fell from his hand onto the space between the two bowls. He clenched his fist tighter.

 _One choice can destroy you._

He _had_ to make the right choice. The choice would define his life from then on.

 _One choice will define you._

Lifting his head slightly, he could see his father among the sea of blue. His father's eyes were no longer blank or impassive. They were swirling, like a storm. Adrien could tell that his father didn't expect for Adrien to even hesitate in his choice.

Slowly, Adrien raised his fist and held it between the clear water and the sizzling coals. He squeezed his eye shut.

He was the perfect child. He would make his father proud. His trembling hand moved towards the bowl of clear water, a drop of blood threatening to drop from it.

No. He couldn't do this. He couldn't spend the rest of his life suffocating and doing what his father wanted him to do.

He wanted to be free.

 _One choice will define you._

Just as the drop of blood was about to fall, Adrien made his decision. He jerked his arm to the bowl of coals, and allowed his blood to drip onto them, sizzling.

He'd made his choice.

He raised his head slowly, ignoring the shocked silence from that crowd that _the perfect child of the Agreste family had chosen Dauntless, had chosen to leave his faction_. Andre Bourgeois' mouth had fallen open, and he didn't react when Adrien returned the knife to him.

He took a shaky step towards where the Dauntless were sitting, and that seemed to snap everyone out of their stupor. Cheers arose from the Dauntless while cries of indignation sounded from the Erudite. Adrien lifted his eyes across the room to meet his father's. His father had a furious expression on his face, bordering on murderous, and his knuckles were white, fists clenched tightly. Adrien moved his eyes to Felix, who was sitting next to Gabriel.

To his surprise, Felix had a faint smile on his lips as he looked at Adrien, and _was that pride in his eyes?_

Still staring at his family, he didn't realise that he had nearly reached the Dauntless. Adrien shook himself and stood behind a bunch of Dauntless initiates and a few other transfers.

As he stood, he kept his eyes trained at his feet, and realized that his heart was tight. _You made the right decision_ , he chided himself, but he couldn't stop the tightness. He wouldn't miss his home, he was sure – it wasn't even a home, with its bright white lights and high ceilings and cold floor, but he _would_ miss the rare smiles he got from his father, and the rare talks he would have with Felix. He loosed a breath. He'd made his choice, and now he was going to live with it.

He snuck a peek at the person next to him, also a transfer. With a jolt of surprise, he realized that she was from Amity, her red dress as out of place among the Dauntless as his blue suit was. It was surprising – Amity and Dauntless were complete opposites, and those from Amity rarely transferred to Dauntless, and vice versa. She was shorter than he was, her black hair pulled into twin pigtails, held back by ribbons. She was shifting from foot to foot, and Adrien could see that her sapphire eyes were peering over at her former faction, seemingly searching for something – her family, he guessed. After several minutes, she slumped, her eyes cast down at her feet. He took that as an opportunity to talk to her.

"Hey." He said awkwardly. The girl turned her head towards him, and he was struck by just how damn _blue_ her eyes were.

"Hey." She replied, her voice soft.

Adrien tried again, "So, you're from Amity, huh?"

She shrugged, "Yeah, I can see why you're surprised. But I'm even more surprised to see _the_ Adrien Agreste transferring from Erudite to Dauntless." She said, raising an eyebrow and eyeing his blue suit up and down.

He laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck, "Well, about that… Let's just say I wanted some freedom."

She gave him a small smile, "I can see why." There was a pause. "I'm Marinette." She held out a hand for him to shake.

"That's a pretty name, Princess," he said, feeling a smirk grace his lips, when he realized what he had just said. Where had his manners gone? He flushed, mortified, only to see that Marinette was slightly pink as well. He swallowed, "I'm Adrien, but you already know that." A smile quirking his lips, he extended his hand and shook hers. "Pleasure to meet you."

"And you as well." Just then, everyone started moving, and Adrien realised that the ceremony was over. He was swept right along with them, Marinette right behind him.

"What's going on?" he heard her ask, and he realized that he was still gripping her hand from the handshake. He flushed again, but pulled her so she was beside him. He decided not to let go of her hand.

"I have no idea," he replied, hurrying along with the rest of the Dauntless, "Guess we'll just go with the flow."

Suddenly, the Dauntless started running, letting out whoops and yells. Locking eyes, with Marinette, he started running as well.

So this was what freedom felt like.

The Dauntless continued running for a couple of minutes, reaching a train. Adrien realised what they were going to do once he saw the train moving towards them at a high speed.

Marinette seemed to come to the same realization. Eyes widening, she turned towards him, her voice coming out a squeak, "Are we _seriously_ going to _jump_ on the train?"

Adrien was surprised to see that she wasn't out of breath like he'd expected. Maybe the Amity spent a lot of time running through the meadows? "It seems so," he replied, eyeing the train and the Dauntless warily.

The train approached, way faster than he'd expected. Within seconds, it had already reached where they were, and with whoops and yells, the Dauntless leaped onto the train, fearless.

Marinette gulped. "But how… This is impossible." She eyed the train worriedly.

"We have to, Marinette. The train's nearly at its end. We have to jump or we'll become factionless." He told her frantically. When she didn't respond, he tightened his grip on her hand (the hand that Adrien hadn't realized that he had been holding all along), and started running to the train, pushing down his fear. After a moment, he felt Marinette's resistance disappear and felt her running beside him.

The train was right in front of him now. Adrien steeled his nerves – and _leapt_ , pulling Marinette with him. They landed on the train floor together, hard, but Adrien didn't feel the pain. He'd succeeded, and had passed the first test that Dauntless had thrown at him.

"That was… intense." Marinette gasped out, her breathing coming in pants. Adrien couldn't blame her – his heart was running a marathon, hammering so hard in his chest he was afraid it would fall out. The jump was terrifying, but it was exhilarating at the same time.

Honestly? He couldn't wait to do it again.

"It sure was." He leaned against the train wall, staring out of the window as the city flew by.

Other faction transfers flew into the train car, some successful, some not so much, as they struggled to get onto the train. Adrien paid them no heed.

After a moment, he felt Marinette sit down beside him. He tore his gaze from the window and glanced at her. She was nervous, he could tell. She looked up and met his gaze.

"Crazy, isn't it?" she commented.

"Yeah," he murmured, realizing just then that her eyes were _oh so blue and god he was getting lost in them_. "Totally insane."

They sat in a somehow comfortable silence for several minutes when he felt the train slow.

"What's going on?" Marinette wondered. She stood up and stumbled when the air from the open doors hit her.

"Careful!" Adrien scrambled over to her to steady her. He peered out.

"They're jumping," he told Marinette.

She nodded grimly. "Yeah, I saw." She hesitated, "Do we…?"

"We jump." Adrien stated firmly. "Together?"

"Together," she replied with no hesitation.

Her hands gripped his, "One."

"Two" Adrien breathed out, feeling his heart pick up its pace again.

"Three!" And then they jumped. Adrien braced himself, bending his limbs and turning his body to reduce the impact, but he had to let go of Marinette's hand due to the momentum.

He stood up, brushing himself off, before walking to Marinette and extending his hand. "Falling for me already, Princess?"

Once again, he was appalled at what had just come out of his mouth. Had he just flirted? Had he just said that without thinking?

Immediately, he discarded those thoughts. He wasn't Erudite anymore, he reminded himself. He didn't need to watch everything he said. He could say what he wanted. He could be _himself_.

Marinette flushed pink, but she rolled her eyes and accepted his hand. He yanked her to her feet. "In your dreams, Agreste," she scoffed good-naturedly, "Aren't you supposed to be all prim and proper?"

He leaned in close, her bright beautiful blue eyes (ooh alliteration) boring into his, and murmured, "Perhaps, but not anymore." He leaned back. "I'm Dauntless now."

"Gather around!" shouted a woman from the other side of the roof, her hands cupped around her mouth. She was only a bit older than Adrien, with long dark hair and dyed purple bangs. "All of you here have passed the first tests to officially get into Dauntless. Here's the last test. Jump off this roof," she gestured behind her, "and you're officially one of us."

A murmur spread through the crowd of initiates, and Adrien felt his stomach clench.

"Seriously?" Marinette hissed in his ear, "How are we going to survive that? Is tthere like, water at the bottom?"

Adrien could only shrug, his eyes fixed on the edge of the roof.

"Anyone have the guts to jump?" asked the girl challengingly. "Not even one of you?"

The crowd of initiates shifted nervously. Adrien bit his lip.

Unexpectedly, Marinette straightened her shoulders and walked towards the edge. Adrien watched with wide eyes as his new friend stood at the ledge.

The girl placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Our first jumper!" she yelled. And then, softer, "You can do it, girl."

There were snickers and catcalls from around Adrien, and Adrien desperately wanted to smack the people who had the _gall_ to make fun of Marinette. Adrien looked at her. Her face was set in determination and her mouth set in a hard line.

Then she jumped.

Adrien couldn't stop the gasp coming from his mouth.

"Alright!" the girl yelled with a grin. "Our first initiate has jumped. Who's next?"

Adrien pushed forward, squaring his shoulders. Again, there were catcalls, but he ignored them. He stepped onto the edge.

He steeled his nerves, and jumped.

He landed on a net. Of course. Adrien laid there for a moment, before getting up and attempting to scramble towards the edge. Hands gripped his arms and he was hauled to the ground next to Marinette, who gave him a huge beaming smile which lit up the dark space.

A hand clapped his back. He turned to meet the eyes of tall young woman not much older than he was. She gave him a nod, and said, "Welcome to Dauntless."

Adrien met Marinette's eyes. Her blue eyes were filled with exhilaration and excitement from jumping off the roof, and her hair was windblown. Her eyes were so _blue_ , and he got so lost in them he could forget everything, forget that he had left his family behind forget that he was Divergent... and Adrien realized that she was pretty. Very pretty. His mouth went dry.

To be very honest, he had never seen anything prettier in his life.

Her blue eyes sparkled, and he couldn't help but smile and wrap his arms around her in a joyful embrace.

He found that his heart had lost its tightness, and instead, it was filled with warmth and happiness, and _belonging._

"We made it," he whispered.

"We're Dauntless."

* * *

 **Aaaand again with the stupid ending! How was the Adrienette? Hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter! I wouldn't mind writing a sequel to this, tbh... but maybe later xD. Next one will probably be a fantasy AU, like vampires or faeries or werewolves or something. I dunno. You guys can give me suggestions and leave some reviews *wink wink*. See you guys next time!**

 **~stephanie**


	4. Arranged Marriage x Secret Lover AU

**Here's the new chapter of I'll Find You! I'm quite satisfied with it so I hope that you guys will like it! Enjoy!**

 **AU: Arranged marriage/Secret lover**

 **Pairing: Marichat/Adrienette**

 **Summary: Marinette is not happy to know that her mother had married her off to some random prince of a neighbouring country, especially not since she already had her little black kitty. The only way to get out of the marriage was to find another, wealthier family to marry… what was Chat Noir's real identity, again?**

* * *

Marinette shifted nervously in her seat. Her parents were looking at her intently and she couldn't help but squirm uncomfortably under their gazes.

"… What?" she asked nervously.

"Marinette," her mother, Queen Sabine, said, her tone serious. "We have something of extreme importance to discuss with you."

Marinette swallowed her nerves. She did not like the tone that her mother was using. She knew that there was a high chance of it being something that she would not like.

Her father took over, "It is something that your mother and I have been discussing for some time. You are 16 Marinette," she did not like where this was going, "and you are nearly of age to be married."

Marinette's jaw dropped. Nononononono. It couldn't be. She must have heard it wrong. Her parents were _not_ implying that they were marrying her off. They weren't implying that they were arranging a marriage for her, against her will. She snapped her jaw closed, swallowed, before she asked, "Pardon?"

"You are nearly of age to be married." Repeated Tom patiently, "Sabine and I have decided that you will marry Prince Nathanael of the Illustrator kingdom. He requested your hand in marriage a week ago."

She couldn't believe it. They _were_ marrying her off. Against her will! Not even caring what she wanted!

"But, Papa!" She protested. "I don't even _want_ to be married! Not at this age! And _especially not_ to some random prince in a neighbouring kingdom! Why can't you at least let me choose who I want to marry?!"

"Honey," said her mother with a sigh, "16 is the ideal age for girls like you to be married. If you wait much longer, I am afraid that few kingdoms will ask for your hand. Besides, the Illustrator kingdom is quite wealthy, and this will benefit us greatly. Additionally, Prince Nathanael is a perfect gentleman from what I have seen."

"I don't care!" Marinette snapped, not caring if she sounded like a petulant, insolent child. "I don't care if I'll get too old to be married, I don't care if their kingdom is wealthy, and _I don't care that that whatever prince is a gentleman!_ You can't make decisions like _that_ for me! This is _marriage_ , and I should be allowed to choose!"

"Marinette!" Sabine snapped, "Do not raise your voice! That is what we have chosen, and what we have chosen is for the best and in your best interest. Do not question our decision."

"Who gave you the right to completely govern my life?" Marinette yelled, ignoring Sabine's warning not to raise her voice, "You may be my parents, but I'm _16_ , and I can make decisions for myself! You can't decide _everything_ for me! At least give me a choice in this matter!"

"Calm yourself, Marinette," said Tom in an even voice.

"Calm myself? _Calm myself?_ How do you expect me to calm myself when you-"

Her father sent her a withering glare and she halted, sealing her lips, even though she was still seething with anger. _How dare they?!_

Tom turned towards Sabine, and he led her a little distance away, where they began whispering to one another.

 _No doubt discussing my insolence,_ thought Marinette bitterly.

She still believed that she had every right to be furious. An arranged marriage! An arranged marriage to some random prince from a neighbouring kingdom just because they had wealth and power! Why wouldn't they respect her freedom and allow her to choose what she wanted? They hadn't even asked for her opinion.

 _Besides_ , her subconscious added, _there's Chat Noir to think about._

 _Yeah. Chat Noir,_ she thought, thinking of the black cat that had stolen her heart. But she pushed her thoughts of her lover away for the time being. It would not bode well with her parents if they found out that she was having a secret affair with Paris' very own saviour, Chat Noir.

She _had_ to get out of the marriage. But how?

"Marinette," At the sound of her father's voice, Marinette jumped slightly, so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize that her parents had returned from their discussion.

"What." She returned tiredly.

"We have decided that you are to be married to the Illustrator kingdom. No buts," Tom said firmly, "You will meet the prince next week."

Marinette clamped down her rising anger, her mind whirring to find a way to get out of this. _Think, think think…. Aha!_

"There's no way out of this marriage?' she asked.

"Not unless you find a good reason to," said Sabine sternly, "And a 'good reason' isn't some petty argument on how we didn't give you a choice or we didn't think of your feelings."

"What if," Marinette paused, searching for the right words, "What if… I find someone who comes from a wealthier family? Someone whose family has even more wealth and influence and power than the Illustrator kingdom?"

It was a gamble, she knew. But she remembered Chat telling her once that his family was quite rich, and held quite a bit of influence. She wasn't sure exactly how much, but she presumed that it was somewhere around, if not more, than the Illustrator kingdom.

Her parents exchanged glances, and Tom shrugged, "I suppose so. _If_ you can find a kingdom better than the Illustrator kingdom, and the prince or king of that kingdom is willing to lend you their hand in marriage, then you can marry into that kingdom of your choice instead. But be warned – you have until next week, so you'd better be quick."

With that, her parents left her room, leaving Marinette alone to think over what had just happened. It was clear that her parents did not believe for one bit that Marinette could find a kingdom more well-off than the Illustrator kingdom and had a prince willing to marry her, but they didn't know that Marinette had Chat.

Speaking of him, Marinette decided that there was a certain kitty she had to find.

* * *

It didn't take long to find him. Or rather, he found her. Chat Noir had once told her that he felt confined and restrained when with his family, so he often roamed around and visited her when he could, which was quite a lot _._

Within minutes, there was a thump on her balcony, and she knew that he had arrived. Sitting on her bed, she waited for him to enter.

She waited only a moment, and then he was beside her, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face into her neck.

"Hey kitty." She breathed, raising her arms to run her fingers through his soft, soft hair.

"Mariiiiii," he mumbled, his voice rumbling in her neck. She laughed.

"Down, kitty. I know you miss me, and I miss you too, but I have something very serious to tell you. Something we have to discuss."

He leaned back, pouting. "Fine. What is it?" he leaned closer, his eyes suddenly filling with concern, "Is everything okay?"

She looked away. He knew her too well. "Yeah," she sighed, "And you're not going to like it either."

His brow furrowed, "Okay, now I'm scared. What happened, Princess?"

She wrapped her arms around her legs, staring hard at the ground, "My parents… they forced me into an arranged marriage."

Silence. Slowly, she turned her head to look at him, only to find that his feline green eyes were burning into hers, his mouth hanging open slightly.

"… What?" he finally said, his voice a mere whisper. She sighed and slumped.

"Yeah. Apparently, I'm of age, and the Illustrator kingdom is wealthy, which is beneficial to our kingdom. Prince Nathanael asked for my hand." She grumbled unhappily.

And then his arms were around her once again, with her face pressed to his chest. "But, Princess," his voice cracked slightly, "What about us?"

"They told me that there's one way I can get out of this marriage." Immediately, he perked up, his ears twitching. She reached out to scratch them. "They said I could get out of the marriage if a man from an even better kingdom asks for my hand."

She could feel him tense slightly, before relaxing, seemingly understanding her implication, "Well, I'm pretty sure that my family is much, much better off than the Illustrator kingdom."

"You don't have to," she said quickly, "I know you don't want to reveal your identity."

"It's fine," he murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Besides, it's about time, don't you think? We've been doing this for a year, at least. It's probably time to tell you."

"I don't want you to feel obligated to tell me just because of this. You should tell me when you really want to." She told him, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

"No, I've wanted to tell you for a long time. I just wasn't sure _when_ the best time was to tell you," he chuckled softly, "So, am I allowed to ask for your hand in marriage?"

She laughed, "Of course you are, _chaton_. Why'd you even ask?"

"Just making sure." Sending her a wink, he placed one last kiss on her lips before standing up and bounding to the window. "Well, I got to go. Got to ask for a certain princess' hand in marriage as soon as possible. The next request you get from an ultra-wealthy family, you'll know it's from me. See you later, Mari." He smiled softly at her and leapt out of the window.

* * *

Three days.

It had been three whole days since Chat Noir told her that he would ask for her hand in marriage. She was getting worried. What if his request couldn't arrive by the end of the week? She would be stuck with Nathawhathisname for the rest of her life. And while she didn't doubt (much) that he would be a gentleman, she found herself dreading the idea of not being with her dear kitty.

She sighed and decided to get ready for bed. Just then, someone barged into her room without knocking. Gasping, she whirled around, facing the intruder… or rather intruders, who happened to be her parents.

"What the -?" Marinette exclaimed. She took in their appearances and was surprised to see that her usually immaculate and put together parents looked slightly disheveled, as if they had rushed to find her. They also had some kind of look in their eyes that she couldn't decipher.

Had something happened?

Before she could even open her mouth, her mother had beaten her to it. "How did-Marinette-what-" Sabine shook her head before composing herself. "Marinette, how is it that you managed to get a request for marriage from none other than Adrien Agreste himself of the Agreste kingdom?"

Marinette gaped. _Adrien Agreste?_ The son of Gabriel Agreste, one of the most famous and influential men in Europe? The one who she'd once had a huge crush on?

 _He'd asked for her hand in marriage?_

"I-I don't understand." Marinette swallowed, " _Adrien Agreste?_ "

"Yes." Her mother's voice trembled from shock.

Her mind immediately flew to Chat Noir. What had he said again?

 _The next request you get from an ultra-wealthy family, you'll know it's from me._

Did that mean that Adrien was Chat?

She knew that she could be jumping to conclusions. But she started to put together pieces of information.

They both had blond hair and green eyes. Now that she thought of it, their height and build were actually the same as well.

Chat _did_ say that he was from a very wealthy and influential family. So was Adrien.

They were both sweet and kind.

And they both had, at one point or another, made her heart flutter madly and her stomach do flips and her brain melt.

All the evidence pointed to one thing.

 _Adrien was Chat Noir._

Because how could he not be?

(Of course, this was too good to be true, and there was a chance that Chat wasn't Adrien, but Marinette wanted very much to believe so)

"Well?" realizing that both her parents were looking at her expectantly, Marinette hastily regained her composure and opened her mouth to speak.

Her mother cut her off, "You would be a fool not to accept this, Marinette. Just imagine it. Marrying into the _Agreste_ family."

"I-I…" she gulped, "Of course I accept, Mother."

* * *

Not long after she had accepted Adrien's – _Chat's_ – hand in marriage, her parents told her that they had arranged to meet with the Agreste family in a week's time. Marinette was buzzing with excitement.

She could not wait for that day to come.

The week flew by in a blur. Much to her disappointment, Chat Noir did not drop by to visit, but he hadn't been spotted anywhere in the country as well. She guessed that he was being pestered by his family to get ready for their meeting and their wedding.

She missed him, but she knew that she would see him soon.

* * *

It was the big day.

The day when she would meet the one she was to marry.

Adrien Agreste.

Chat Noir.

She was now quite sure that Chat was Adrien, since there had only been a few more requests for her hand in marriage over the past week, and none of them were from particularly wealthy families.

She was a bundle of nerves and _oh god what if he decides that he doesn't like me anymore what if my dress falls apart what if I die oh gosh_.

She tried to calm herself, and failing at it.

Gosh, she was going to fall apart in front of him if she kept at that.

With that thought, she forced herself to take deep breaths and not to worry. She would not embarrass herself in front of him. She would _not._

God help her, she was _so_ nervous. She tried to steady her erratically beating heart.

There was a knock on her door. "Marinette, it's time!" her mother called. Marinette could hear the nervousness in Sabine's voice.

"One moment!" she called back. She smoothed down her dress and checked her hair one last time in the mirror, before squaring her shoulders and wiping away her frantic expression.

She strode over to her door and stepped out, where her mother was waiting for her with a gentle smile.

"Darling, you look lovely," cooed Sabine, smiling at her, "Prince Adrien won't be able to take his eyes off you tonight. He'll fall all over you, I'm sure."

Marinette chuckled, "Yeah." He'd already fallen all over her, really, if he was who she thought was.

Sabine led her down the stairs, where Tom was waiting. Together, they walked to the ballroom in silence.

"Ready?" asked Tom.

 _Not at all._ Marinette nodded, plastering a smile on her face.

The guard at the grand doors of the ballroom bowed to them and pushed open the door. Immediately, Marinette was greeted by music and colour and people and laughter.

She gazed in awe at the scene before her. Marinette had only been to a few parties before, and none of them were quite this big or extravagant. There was a live orchestra, and there were hundreds – _hundreds!_ – of people dressed in formal attire, talking and dancing and eating.

Upon seeing the three of them enter, a hush fell over the huge room. Heads turned, and even the orchestra stopped playing.

Marinette fought the urge to twitch, feeling uncomfortable with so many stares focused on her. She continued smiling, trying to look confident and elegant, just like a princess should, and strode after her parents towards the thrones set in one side of the room.

When they sat, down, most of the people resumed their previous activities, and lively music filled the air once more. She scanned the crowds, looking for a familiar blond head, but was disappointed when she couldn't find him in the crowd.

"Where are the Agrestes?" she asked softly, leaning closer to her mother.

"They're arriving soon after us, dear." Sabine answered. They should be here… right about… now."

Right on cue, the ballroom doors opened, and, at the sight of the people who stood there at the entrance, the room lapsed into silence once again.

The first person she noticed was the tall, proud man with a stern expression. He had graying hair that was slicked back smartly and cold gray eyes. Hand in hand with him was a pretty woman with long golden hair and kind emerald eyes and a dazzling smile. Next to her…

Marinette's breath hitched slightly, her breath catching in her throat. She'd thought that she was at least semi-prepared for this. Apparently, she wasn't prepared at all because _holy crap_ he was even more beautiful without the mask than in a tight leather suit.

The boy who stood next to his mother was both familiar and not. He had the golden hair that she had so lovingly run her hands through, the emerald eyes that made her weak in the knees, and the sweet _sweet_ smile that she adored. Now though, his hair wasn't tousled like it usually was, and his eyes didn't have its feline features that she was so used to seeing. The mask that adorned his face as Chat was not present and he was wearing formal attire instead of the black leather suit she had grown accustomed to.

But even so, his identity was as clear as day to her. Any thoughts that Adrien wasn't Chat vanished from her mind.

She'd recognize her silly kitty _anywhere_.

The Agrestes moved towards where she and her parents were seated. She tore her eyes from Adrien and focused on Gabriel Agreste. Adrien might be her betrothed, but she was _not_ going to be caught dead staring at him like a lovesick fool.

When the Agrestes were halfway across the ballroom, though, she felt someone's gaze burning into her, and she knew precisely who that someone was. Stubbornly, she kept her eyes on Gabriel Agreste, refusing to look at Adrien and fall to pieces in front of him.

She felt his gaze linger on her, and was mortified to realize that heat had begun to crawl up her neck. Swallowing, she forced down her blush, resisting the urge to just _look at him, just one look at those captivating emerald eyes…_

The Agrestes stopped just in front of where they were sitting. Marinette hesitated, unsure of what to do, and looked at her parents. Tom and Sabine got up from their thrones, and Marinette copied their actions, following them down the dais until they were face to face with the Agrestes.

It was only then did she allow her eyes to drift over to Adrien. Just as she expected, he was still gazing at her, and when their eyes met, Adrien's lips curled to form a soft smile, a smile that she recognised. She returned it, a weight lifting off her chest as a burst of giddiness rushed through her heart.

Oh, how she had missed him. It had only been a week, but she already missed him. Seeing him in front of her, unmasked and smiling, soothed the ache in her heart.

Her parents were talking with Adrien's parents, but she didn't – _couldn't_ – pay attention to what they were saying. She stared at Adrien, unabashed, and he stared right back. The world around them faded away and disappeared and they were the only ones left in it.

"-and this is my daughter, Marinette." At the sound of her name, Marinette jolted out of the trance, tearing her gaze from Adrien.

"Marinette," said Gabriel Agreste, his expression contemplative, "Pleasure to meet you."

He held out his hand for her to shake, and she did so, hoping that her palm wasn't as sweaty as she thought it was. "The pleasure is all mine, King Gabriel." she replied in the most polite voice she could muster.

"Marinette," murmured the woman by him – Celine, she recalled, "That's a pretty name."

Marinette flushed slightly at the compliment, "Thank you, Queen Celine," she said, "But it was my parents who named me."

Celine smiled, "Ah, they must have good taste then. I adore the name Marinette."

Tom and Sabine exchanged smiles, before they turned towards Adrien.

"Prince Adrien," Tom boomed, "We are honoured to have our daughter betrothed to you."

"Please, King Tom," Adrien reached forward and shook Tom's hand, "The honour is all mine. I am delighted to have such a wonderful girl to be my bride." At that, Marinette flushed red, ducking her head slightly and hoping that no one noticed her blush.

Sabine giggled softly, "Quite the charmer, are we?" Adrien smiled, and took Sabine's hand, bringing it to his mouth and placing a polite kiss on it. "I speak nothing but the truth, Queen Sabine. I am sure that your daughter is an amazing person." He sent her a wink and it took everything Marinette had in herself to will herself not to blush.

"She is indeed," chuckled Tom.

Adrien turned towards her, and Marinette smothered the blush that threatened to show. "Princess Marinette," he greeted, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips, looking up at her through his lashes. It was that look alone that sent her reeling, and she caught herself before she did anything stupid. He straightened and smiled, "It is my utmost pleasure to finally meet you. I look forward to our time together."

"Likewise," Marinette was surprised and relieved that her voice didn't tremble, "It is nice to meet you, Prince Adrien."

They stared at each other for a moment too long until Tom cleared his throat, "Well, you two go off and have a good time. Would you like to join us, King Gabriel, Queen Celine?"

"Of course," Gabriel replied gruffly, and the four monarchs left, leaving the two teens staring at each other.

The slightly awkward silence was broken by Adrien as he extended a hand to her, "So, Princess," he all but purred, "May I have this dance?"

Giggling, she accepted his hand, "You may, my dear Prince."

Adrien led her out to the middle of the dance floor, and together they swayed to the music, a comfortable and familiar silence between them, and she relished in the feeling of being in his arms out of the suit.

Several dances later, Adrien whispered in her ear, "Do you want to go for a walk in the gardens? I'm growing rather tired of all this dancing."

She contemplated it for a moment. "Alright, alright." With that, Adrien pulled her away from the crowd of dancing people and towards the glass doors at one end of the room.

The guard there dipped his head in recognition, opening the door for them.

Stepping outside, Marinette breathed in the crisp air, a sharp contrast from the air in the ballroom. Adrien tugged her hand and led her to one of the benches.

They sat down, Marinette leaning her head on Adrien's shoulder, and enjoyed the other's companionship for a while. Finally, Adrien broke the silence.

"… Hey." She twisted her head to look at him curiously. "Is everything… good between us? You're not upset or anything, right?" he asked softly. She laughed.

"Of course not, you silly kitty," Reaching up, she brushed back a strand of his hair which had fallen out during their dancing. "Why would I be?"

"No, I just…" his voice trailed off, before he released a soft chuckle, "Irrational worries, I guess." He took her hand and swung it between them.

"Silly kitty," she mumbled, "I _told_ you that I'd love whoever it is behind the mask, no matter what."

He nuzzled his face in her neck and she laughed, ruffling his hair. "I love you," he said, his voice muffled.

She laughed again, gently this time, "I love you too, _chaton._ Now, get your head out of my neck and give your Princess a proper kiss."

His head left her neck and suddenly his face was right in front of hers, green eyes bright in the moonlight, "With pleasure, Princess."

He kissed her, on the bench in her palace gardens under the moonlight, and she had never felt happier as she wrapped her arms around her betrothed and kissed him back.

* * *

 **Boom! Done! Sorry for the late update, my lovelies, but well, my week had been completely filled with tests and quizzes and homework. My following updates won't be frequent, since exams are next week, but I'll try my best! I already have half of the next chapter typed out so there'll probably be an update (or maybe 2 if you're lucky) this weekend. The next chapter is a Faerie AU, and after that will probably be an AU based off one of the books I read. Review and tell me what you think!**

 **~stephanie**


	5. Childhood Meeting AU

**OMG SORRY FOR BEING SO LATE. I had exams the past weeks and I had to study, I'm so sorry! I wanted to update earlier, but I wrote like 3 one-shots halfway and gave up on them because of writer's block. I finally managed to write this. It's not very good, but hopefully you'll like it! Also, sorry that it's rather short!**

 **AU: Childhood Meeting**

 **Pairing: Adrinette (again, I know)**

 **Summary: All is the same… Well, not really. It doesn't start with a gum on a chair. Instead, it starts with a little boy who met a friend in the park.**

 **Note: Let's pretend that Adrien's mother died when he was nine or something for the sake of this story. He's nine at first.**

* * *

Adrien pulled up his legs to the bench he was sitting on, wrapping his arms around his legs to pull them to his chest. For a long while, he sat there, burying his face into his knees as he recalled how his father had snapped, how he had yelled at Adrien in a way he had not done in a long, long time, saying bad words that he was not supposed to say. He'd run from his father then, evading the Gorilla's attempts at trying to catch him, and had run until he was out of breath (which was very quickly).

He'd ended up at an unfamiliar park, nowhere he had been before, but in that moment, he hadn't cared. He'd pulled himself up onto one of the benches and had sat there for a long time, watching adults and children alike walking and laughing in the park. Even now, he sat there as the sun set, turning the sky was a pretty orange.

In front of him, a man, a woman and a small boy like him walked past. He watched, his heart and stomach twisting strangely as the older man picked up the boy, who shrieked with laughter when he got spun him around. The man was laughing, too, and the woman was also smiling, gazing at the two happily.

Jealous. He was jealous. He remembered the times when his father had done that (or something similar to that, anyway – his father rarely showed affection), and when his mother had stood by, looking at them with love.

He remembered when his family was whole, not perfect, but whole. The family in front of him walked away, still laughing, and he felt something wet in his eyes.

He scrubbed at his eyes furiously. He would _not_ cry.

But he did anyway, as tears flooded from his eyes like a waterfall. He buried his face in his knees _he couldn't let others see him cry, he was strong and father said that boys shouldn't cry_ and let out a sob.

"Um… are you alright?" Adrien jolted at the voice, realizing that while he'd been crying, a pretty girl his age had sat next to him. Her big blue eyes looked at him with concern.

He noted that her eyes looked like the sky when the sun was up.

"Yes." He said, trying to sound as tough as possible (and failing). He turned his head away to hide any evidence of him crying.

The, a hand was on his shoulder, and he peeked back to see that the blue-eyed girl had hesitantly reached out.

"You can tell me," she said shyly, looking down, "My parents told me to always help a person who is sad."

"My mother died," he admitted, hating how _weak_ he felt, "several days ago. And my father… he just yelled at me. He's never done that before."

Suddenly, the girl had wrapped her arms around him, and he gasped slightly. A moment later, she stepped back, smiling softly.

"My mom says that hugs make people feel better," she told him in that soft voice. Her voice was pretty, like her eyes. "Did it make you feel better?"

"It did," he told her, "Really. Thank you."

She beamed, and the smile lit up her face, "You're welcome!"

"Thank you a lot," he told her again, giving her a smile, "I feel happier. What's your name?"

"Marinette." Her eyes sparkled happily, "What about you?"

"Your name is pretty, like you. My name is Adrien."

She squeaked cutely, but responded, "Your name is pretty, too!"

"Adrien!" a deep voice called out, and he flinched. The Gorilla rarely ever spoke, and when he did, it was always when something important had happened. This time, he was probably the important thing

"I have to go." He told Marinette, standing up. She followed, glancing to where the Gorilla was walking towards them.

"Will you ever… Will I see you again?" she asked shyly, tugging at her pigtails.

"I-," the Gorilla was coming closer, "I'll come here next week," he decided, "At the same time. Let's meet then!"

She grinned, stepping forward and giving him another hug, "Okay, I'll see you then!"

As the Gorilla pulled him away, all he could see was the pretty blue-eyes girl with the cute pigtails, and though he knew his father would be very angry at him, somehow, this girl made him relax.

* * *

The following week, Marinette brought him cookies.

The week after, he took chocolate from his kitchen and gave them to her.

The week after that, he nicknamed her 'Princess', because she was pretty just like one, and she had giggled and called him her knight.

In the weeks after, they met again and again in the same place, at the same time, and Adrien was so glad that he had made a friend. Her delicious cookies were a bonus.

A friend.

He liked the sound of that.

* * *

She stopped coming after 6 months. He waited, but she never showed up.

Had he done something wrong?

* * *

Adrien Agreste stood under the steps, looking up at the huge building in front of him. It truly dawned on him that, _finally_ , he could go to school. He could have some social interaction outside of modeling and he could finally make friends.

At the thought of friends, a slightly distant memory drifted to the front of Adrien's mind. He pushed it down. Now was not the time be nostalgic. It was time for school.

Schooling his nerves ( _ha! He made a pun!_ ), he adjusted the strap of his bag, headed up the steps and entered the doors.

* * *

Chloe laughed and spat out a piece of gum which she had been chewing, and stuck it onto the seat from across the aisle.

"Chloe, what the hell?" he demanded, glaring at her.

She scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder, "Don't mind it, Adrien. That girl deserves it."

"Chloe, that's wrong," he told her firmly, and stood up to face her, "Remove the gum."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Don't be like that, Adrien." With that, she walked past him and sat behind him. Huffing, Adrien walked over to the seat and bent down, trying to remove the gum. He cringed when he felt the disgusting stickiness on his finger, but ignored it and continued removing it, bit by bit.

"What do you think you're doing?" someone demanded and Adrien sprang up, looking towards the speaker. Angry blue eyes met his, and a petite girl stood before him, her hands on her hips and her expression furious. She stepped forward and jabbed a furious finger to his chest. "Why the hell are you putting gum on my seat?"

He tried to respond, but he found himself captivated by her eyes, unable to form a word. Those sapphire eyes… Where had he seen them before? Why did they seem so familiar?

A flash of realization came over him. _Of course_. Blue eyes and pigtails and fair skin – who else could it be?

At the same time he came to this revelation, her eyes widened as well, and she took a step back. Her eyes searched his, and in them he saw the same flash of recognition he'd gotten just a moment earlier.

Her hands flew to cover the squeal that came out of her mouth, " _Adrien?_ "

He just blinked at her, too shocked to say anything. _Marinette?_

"I -" she shook her head, "Why did you put gum on my seat?" There was no real anger behind that question, unlike before –it was just a simple, stunned question.

 _Snap out of it, Adrien_. "I–I didn't put gum on your seat," he told her, pushing down his shock. He glared at Chloe, who had a smug expression on her face. "Chloe did. I was only trying to remove it."

"I –oh," She mumbled, glancing down at her seat, "Th –thanks, I guess."

"Anytime," he replied, slightly shakily, as he backed away slightly to let her pass to her seat. Marinette took out a piece of tissue to cover the gum, and sat down, her auburn-headed friend next to her.

She didn'tt look at him once.

Trying to smother his disappointment, he returned to his own seat just as the teacher came in.

 _She probably doesn't want to talk to me. Probably why she stopped coming to the park all those years ago. Who would even want to be friends with a spoiled rich kid?_

* * *

Marinette ignored him the next day. When he came into the classroom, he was surprised to find Marinette sitting behind him, in Chloe's original seat, and Chloe sat where she had stuck gum onto the day before.

He smiled inwardly, knowing that the fierce, stubborn Marinette had probably gotten Chloe back at what she had done the previous day.

As he walked to his seat, he tried to make eye contact with Marinette, but she studiously avoided his gaze, looking down to doodle in her notebook.

His heart plummeted.

 _So it's going to be like that from now on, huh? You'll ignore me for some reason I don't know of, even though we'd been great friends several years ago._

The day passed in a blur. Public school was much more interesting than home-schooling. At the end of the day, as he got ready to leave, he was surprised to find that he was rather sad to leave school. Sure, some teachers were boring, but the atmosphere there was much better than that of the mansion's. He looked out the window and grimaced. Great. It was raining.

Grabbing his umbrella, he headed to the entrance of the school, and stopped in slight surprise.

Marinette stood at the doors, her back facing him. She didn't have an umbrella with her, and Adrien watched for a moment before walking forward.

He stepped up next to her. "Hey," he greeted. She jumped slightly, turning her head to glance at him.

"H-hey, Adrien," She uttered softly before returning her gaze to the ground. He was silent for a moment.

"Did I –did I do something wrong?" he asked, speaking a bit louder to be heard over the rain. She glanced up, surprise filling her blue gaze, and he continued, "I'm really sorry for the gum, you know. Really, Chloe did it."

"I know," she returned. "I'm really sorry for making you feel that way. I know you wouldn't do something like that."

"Why did you stop coming all those years ago?" he dared to ask. She looked down, and he swallowed, his voice apologetic, "You don't have to tell me. I was just asking."

"I moved away." She told him, eyes still fixed on the ground, "Too far from the park to go there myself to meet you. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you."

"Oh." So that was why. "I understand."

"I –I really shouldn't have left you like that," she rambled, "Did I make you feel like a bad friend? I'm so, so sorry, you were –are a really good friend and I'm sorry if I made you feel like I hate you, because I don't and -" she broke off. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

He chuckled, and she flushed, "Yeah. It's cute, though." He added without thinking. It was only when her face flushed bright red when he realised what he had said, and he flushed as well, "S –sorry!"

"I -," she stuttered, her cheeks still dusted a faint pink, "I really am sorry for what happened all those years ago. Can we – can we be friends again?"

And when she looked at him like that, with those huge sapphire eyes and that sweet smile, he melted. "Of course!" He hoped he didn't sound over-enthusiastic. "I'd _love_ to be your friend again, Marinette."

The smile she gave him could've lit up the whole world and he had to remind himself that there was something else in this world other than her smile and blueblueblueblueblue –

A car honked, and he glanced down, startled, to see that his silver limo had already pulled up. He looked back to Marinette. "I have to go," he told her, then added, "Princess."

"You remember," She murmured, smiling, "Well, see you tomorrow!"

He opened his umbrella, and then it struck him that Marinette had no way to leave the school without getting soaked. Turning back, he made a split second decision and extended his umbrella to her, leaving himself out in the rain.

She blinked at him in shock, and he smiled back at her, his arm still extended. For a moment, it felt like they were suspended in time, their eyes locked, green onto blue. Then, the trance was broken as she slowly reached out and curled her fingers around the umbrella, taking it from him.

Just then, the umbrella snapped shut, closing on her face. Unable to help himself, a jolt of laughter burst from Adrien, and he found himself laughing, a genuine laugh, something he had not done in years.

Marinette peeked out from under the umbrella, blue eyes wide, and let out a soft laugh. It was then that he decided that he would do anything to hear her laugh again.

"See you tomorrow, Marinette," The rain poured onto him and he could feel himself getting gradually soaked, but he decided that hearing Marinette's laugh was totally worth it. Leaning forward, he gave her a kiss on the cheek, and before she could see his blush, he turned around and darted to the car, soaked to the bone.

Pausing at the bottom steps, he turned back, seeing Marinette frozen, still staring at him with her blue eyes wide.

"See you tomorrow," she called out, but Adrien could hear a slight squeak in her voice. He smiled at her one last time before sliding into the limo, closing the door behind him.

He watched her as the car pulled away, staring until he couldn't see her.

He slid down his seat, ignoring Nathalie's berating about giving his umbrella to someone and getting himself wet, and allowed his thoughts to drift to Marinette, her eyes, her laugh, her smile…

Oh god. He was in deep.

* * *

 **Hey readers! Again, I'm really sorry for the late update! I don't have any homework or tests the next few weeks, so expect more frequent updates! How was this? I hope you enjoyed it! It's a bit short, but oh well. What AU do you want next time? Leave your suggestions in the comments!**

 **See you next time, my lovelies!**

 **~stephanie**


	6. Reverse Crush AU

**Sorry for the really late update. I was on a school trip. So here's a sweet chapter. You get crushes and kisses and blushing idiots. Lots and lots of blushing**

 **So I saw something like this a while ago and decided to write this…** **Enjoy!**

 **AU: Reverse Crush**

 **Pairing: Marichat, Adrinette, Ladynoir**

 **Summary: Adrien can't get a word out in Marinette's presence. Ladybug can't help but be charmed by Chat Noir's harmless flirting. So when Ladybug tells him to keep an eye on Marinette during an akuma attack, he is more than ecstatic. (So is she, really)**

* * *

"Oh my god, Nino, she's coming!" Adrien hissed, gripping at his best friend's shoulder. "She's coming, what do I do?" he groaned, running a hand through his hair.

Nino laughed. "Dude, it's _fine_. Just be yourself and everything will be fine. Just calm down, relax. Chill, dude," he added when Adrien gripped his arm, hard.

"Hey, Adrien. Hey, Nino." Marinette greeted as she walked past with Alya, who waved. Adrien made a weird noise at the back of his throat, before he straightened slightly and managed to force out, "H-hey, Marinette." He met her eyes for a second, a captivating sky blue, and he tore his gaze away. A hot blush crept up his neck.

 _Damn it, Adrien. Where's all that Agreste poise?_

Nino elbowed him. "Hey, Marinette, what's up? And Alya, hey!"

Damnit, didn't Nino have a crush on Alya? How was he acting so cool? Adrien was still trying to force down the blush that threatened to burst, so to avoid (further) embarrassment, he took out his phone and stared at it as though it was the most interesting thing in the world.

(Though really, that would be Marinette.)

"See you in class!" Marinette said, throwing him and Nino a bright smile. She walked away with Alya, and Adrien finally lifted his head from his phone, staring dreamily after her retreating form.

"Dude, you've got it way too bad," Nino commented, slapping him on the back. "Though, it's an improvement from last time, I suppose. At least you only stuttered a bit. And you got her name right."

Adrien groaned.

* * *

"Hey, Chat." Ladybug landed lightly next to her partner, where he was lounging on a platform at the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Chat turned. "Hello, my lady." Walking over to her, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. Ladybug fought down her blush as he peered up at her with his burning green eyes, with her hand still pressed to his lips. Fantasies swirled wildly in her head at the touch of his lip. Oh, how she wanted those exquisite lips on her own…

Ladybug allowed herself to enjoy her hand in his for a moment before gently pulling away, smiling. "Now, now, kitty." She chided gently, though her heart wasn't in it. "Any news on the latest akuma?"

Chat dropped his head slightly. "Unfortunately not." He sighed, walking to the railing and leant on it. He gazed out at the city, glowing with lights and a twisting maze of buildings. "He's been awfully quiet."

Ladybug joined him. "I need you to do something." Chat turned his gaze towards her, head cocked curiously. She struggled not to turn red under his gaze. "Our latest akuma, the Evillustrator, has found a target. Earlier today, he found a girl, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and asked her on a date." Next to her, she felt Chat stiffen, but she thought nothing of it and continued. "He's in love with her, and wants her to celebrate his birthday with him. She agreed, and contacted me afterwards. I need you to watch over her."

Chat was silent for a moment. She glanced at her partner, worried that he wouldn't be willing to do so, but was surprised to see that he had a dazed look on his face.

The look was really cute, honestly.

She waved a hand in front of him. "Chat? Hey, Chat?"

He jolted, blinking at her. "What? Wait, you want me to protect Marinette?"

"Yes," Ladybug replied, a slight blush spreading over her face. She dismissed the way he said her civilian name with such familiarity. "Her date is tonight. You'll be there, right?"

"Uh, y-yeah!" he stammered, somewhat excitedly. "Of course!"

"Great!" Ladybug was relieved. She had been worried that he would question her motives.

"I'm really sorry though, I won't be there with you," she told him, trying to sound as honest as possible. "I have… a secret mission to attend to."

'Uh, yeah, okay." Chat replied, lost in thought. "Sure, no problem. I'll handle everything."

"That's great, chaton!" She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before withdrawing, a furious blush creeping onto her face. "Well, I gotta go on that mission now. Top secret, sorry Chat. I'll hopefully be back in time to purify the akuma!"

Taking her yoyo, she latched it onto the nearest building. "See you later, kitty!"

… Chat was too lost in his thoughts about Marinette to respond.

* * *

Chat Noir slowly lowered himself in front of the back door of the bakery, where Marinette stood. She jumped back in surprise when he landed in front of her.

"What –oh, Chat Noir!" She exclaimed, hands flying to her chest. "You startled me."

He chuckled. "Sorry for that." Trying to ignore his thundering heart, he bent down on one knee and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. His cheeks flushed at giving such an intimate gesture to his crush. Unbeknownst to him, Marinette was busy fighting down a furious blush of her own when her partner kissed her hand even more tenderly than he did to Ladybug.

"I'm Chat Noir, but I presume you already know that." Chat glanced up at Marinette, and was pleasantly surprised to see her cheeks dusted pink. "And you are Marinette, correct?"

"Y-yes! That's me!" She stammered, nervously (and quite reluctantly) yanking her hand back, still blushing, "So, what brings one half of Paris' superhero duo to my humble home?"

"I believe you know, Princess." _Princess?_ Chat could not believe what had come out of his mouth. Did he just call Marinette _princess?_

Meanwhile, Marinette was freaking out over the sweet nickname as well. His nickname for her as Ladybug was enough to make her blush up a storm, but now, as Marinette, _princess?_ This could not be happening. It was either a dream come true, or a nightmare that he probably gave every girl he met an endearing nickname.

"W-well, I'm honoured." She managed to say, "The great Chat Noir, hero of Paris, here to protect me? Amazing!"

Marinette mentally berated herself. She _knew_ Chat Noir disliked blind flattery. What was she _thinking?_ He probably thought that she was a complete idiot now.

To her infinite surprise, instead of getting irritated, Chat Noir blushed. He _blushed_. Chat Noir, the Casanova of the city, Paris' bad boy superhero, who hated blind flattery, was _blushing._ Because of _her_.

And that made Marinette very, very happy.

"I know this is a bit too much to ask of you," Chat began hesitantly, "but aside from going on a date with him, I need you to get his possessed item away from him. It's his pen, you'll see that later. I'll be there, and all you need is to get the pen away from him. I'll be nearby, so just give it to me and I'll take care of the rest."

"No, no, it's not too much!" She hoped that she didn't sound too desperate. "I'll do it."

"Great!" he beamed at her, and her cheeks flared again. God, why was he so damn _attractive?_ What right did he have, smiling at her like that? He made her want to melt into a puddle on the ground.

She managed a wobbly smile at him, and, like hers had just then, his cheeks reddened.

"S-so, I gotta go!" he stuttered out, grabbing his baton. "I'll see you later, Marinette!"

Sending her one last smile, he extended his baton, and vaulted away.

Marinette waited until he was out of sight. She groaned, hiding her face in her hands. That stupid cat and his effect on her was even stronger when she was in civilian form. She could resist his charms more easily as Ladybug, but as a civilian and without the anonymity of a mask, she felt bared to him.

* * *

Chat leapt away, stopping on a nearby rooftop just out of sight and leant against a small wall. Sighing, he slid the down the wall and landed with a thump on the ground.

"Why does she have to be so damn _adorable?_ " He groaned, the blush that he had been trying to repress for so long blooming on his cheeks.

"That girl is going to be the death of me."

* * *

Glancing to the side, Marinette spotted a shadow leaping from building to building, following the ship's course. She smiled to herself, a renewed sense of reassurance washing over her.

She'd be fine, even without her suit.

Tearing her gaze from her partner, she turned to meet Nathanael –no, the Evillustrator's eyes.

"So, why would you use your powers for evil?" she asked, trying to sound as genuine as possible. "You're a really nice person."

As he replied, she felt something jolt the boat. She whipped around, realizing that Chat Noir had landed on the back of the boat.

"Marinette, what's wrong?" the Evillustrator asked, turning around as well. Chat ducked out of sight.

"Oh, nothing!" Marinette fibbed, hoping that he had dismissed Chat's landing as the boat's rocking. "Just thought I saw a bird."

"Do you want to see a bird?" he asked, smiling at her. "I can make you one. I can create anything that you please."

"Can I try?" she questioned, "I'm an artist too, though not as good as you are. I can draw you a birthday gift!"

The Evillustrator looked hesitant, but at her pleading eyes, he handed over his tablet and stylus. _Score!_ She felt bad for tricking her classmate, but she had to do what needed to be done.

Next to her, the Evillustrator suddenly tensed. "I need this back, Marinette," he told her, eyes hard.

 _Crap._ He must have had noticed Chat Noir.

The Evillustrator reached for the pen. "I need to draw something real quick."

"No," she said firmly, snatching the pen away, and leapt off the bench to the far side of the boat, stylus clutched tightly in her hand.

The Evillustrator cried out angrily, poised to go after her, but Chat Noir leapt in front of her. The Evillustrator's cry turned into a snarl.

"Chat Noir." His eyes flicked to Marinette. "You! I trusted you! But you were in league with him all along!" He attempted to leap for her, but Chat extended his staff, blocking the akuma.

The Evillustrator snarled again, and kicked the staff through the air. It shot straight towards her, knocking the pen out of her hand. She cried out, glaring daggers at the akuma.

The Evillustrator darted forward, grabbing the pen. Quickly, he drew something on his tablet, and a transparent box formed around Marinette and Chat Noir.

"Good luck trying to get out," he snarled at them. He scribbled something on his tablet, and Marinette's eyes widened as she felt the boat sink slowly. The Evillustrator leapt off the boat and ran off to the direction of Chloe's house.

"Crap," Chat hissed, sending a hard kick to the glass. It shuddered but didn't budge. "Now how the hell are we going to get out?"

She glanced around, ignoring the fact that she was trapped in an enclosed space with _Chat Noir_ and he was so close to her _oh my god._ Spotting Chat's staff, she picked it up and handed it to him.

"Use your staff and extend it!" she told him, "You can lift us out!"

He smirked at her, leaning close, so close that their noses were touching, and her face heated up. "Brilliant idea, Princess." He purred out, tail flicking.

She flushed even more, but somehow mustered the strength to push him away weakly. "Y-yeah, I'm brilliant. Now get us out of here!"

Chat wrapped his arm around her waist and she knew her face had probably gone redder than a tomato. _Damnit what's he going to think of me now?_

A moment later, she felt herself being lifted higher and higher. They fell through the air, and Marinette felt naked without the suit. Thankfully, Chat's arm was steady and reassuring around her waist, and she leaned slightly into his touch, enjoying the comfort he offered.

Unfortunately for Marinette (and for Chat, but she didn't know that), the moment was over all too soon. Chat landed them on the nearest bridge, and for a moment, they stared at each other awkwardly.

"Um, thanks for protecting me," she said bashfully, breaking the awkward silence.

"No problem," he replied, smiling at her softly, feline eyes full of fondness.

… and _god_ , that look, that sweet look he was giving her, was enough to make her grab his bell and slam her mouth onto his with a courage she didn't know that she possessed.

He jerked in surprise against her, but she refused to let go, knowing that this was probably the only chance she would ever get to kiss him. Surprisingly, however, he returned the kiss, cupping her face in his hands with such gentleness that Marinette wanted to melt.

All too soon, Chat broke the kiss gently, still gazing at her with utmost adoration.

"I'm sorry, Marinette," he murmured, "I'd love to continue this, but I have to go. Akumas to defeat, cities to save, you know?" But she could hear the reluctance in his voice.

"Yeah," she breathed. She pushed him gently. "Go."

He looked crestfallen, and she leaned forward, pressing another gentle kiss to his lips. "Go, kitten. It's your duty."

Chat straightened, picking up his staff. His eyes never left hers.

"Will there be a next time?" he asked. Though his tone was flirty, she could hear the longing underneath, and her heart pounded to know that Chat longed for _her._ Not Ladybug her, but _Marinette_ her.

"We'll see. Now, go." He smiled at her, not one of his Cheshire cat grins, or the polite smile he gave fans, but a soft, sweet smile she had never seen before, and it made Marinette's heart pound so hard that it almost seemed to burst out of her chest. The way he made her feel was completely and utterly _unfair._ Then, he vaulted away, leaving her with his lingering warmth and the feeling of his kiss, like a gentle caress on her lips. She lifted a hand to her lips, the feeling of Chat's lips still lingering there.

Dazedly, she wondered how Chat Noir had built up so much affection for her in short time.

 _Maybe he didn't,_ a part of her thought. _Maybe he knows me in real life. Maybe we know each other. Maybe we go to the same school._

She jerked out of her daze.

What if they _knew_ each other? What if they went to the same school?

He had to know her, at least, even if she didn't know him, she decided. The amount of fondness she had seen in his eyes was far too strong for someone who he had just met.

Then the realization of what she had just done fully hit her, and she sank to her knees, shock and joy overtaking her.

 _I kissed Chat Noir._

 _He kissed back._

 _He has feelings for me, too._

 _And we might know each other in real life._

"Marinette?" a sweet voice asked. Tikki hovered next to her face, looking concerned. "Are you alright? You know we can't leave Chat to fight on his own."

Marinette swallowed. _Right._ There was still the akuma to deal with.

Still, how was she going to face Chat, knowing that she had kissed him and he had kissed back, but he didn't know that it was her?

Ugh. It was so confusing.

"I'll cross that bridge when I get to it." She grumbled. Akumas came first.

"Tikki, spots on!"

* * *

 **This is too similar to canon for my tastes. Not AU enough. But oh well, I can't really rewrite it. The next one will be even more AU, I promise. Send me prompts and suggestions anytime! My tumblr is fireheartgalaxy**

 **~stephanie**


End file.
